Light socket assembly having means to mount it in an apertured panel



Aug. 9, 1955 w. M A. BARBOUR LIGHT SOCKET ASSEMBLY HAVING MEANS T0 MOUNT IT IN AN APERTURED PANEL.

Filed Nov. 4. 1949 United States Patent LIGHT SOCKET ASSEMBLY HAVING NIEANS TO MOUNT lT IN AN APERTURED PANEL William MacA. Barbour, Dayton, Ohio Application November 4, 1949, Serial No. 125,529

7 Claims. (Cl. 339-126) This invention relates to electric lamp sockets, and more particularly to panel mounted lamps necessitating rear entry for installation and removal of the socket. The invention is particularly well suited to sockets for bayonet base lamps as are frequently used in body panels of automobiles.

Sockets presently used in such installations have several disadvantages in that they are rather complex and difiicult to install, while at the same time a considerable portion thereof are exposed to action of the elements.

The present invention contemplates a substantially totally enclosed unit which is not only weatherproof, but relatively simple in construction and easy to install.

Thus, the object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well as the means and mode of assembly and operation of lamp sockets as disclosed herein, whereby such sockets may not only be economically manufactured, but will be more efiicient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety of panels, having relatively few parts and be unlikely to get out of repair.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved socket of the kind described composed of a relatively few number of parts and self-contained for installation and removal as a unit.

Another object of the invention is to enable the socket to be readily positioned or indexed upon the panel mount.

A further object of the invention is to provide for spring retention or the socket in mounted position.

Still another object of the invention is to utilize a multi-functional single spring force in the socket, accomplishing thereby a spring mounting of the socket, mainte nance of pressure upon the electrical contact, and a yielding resistance to dislocation of the electric lamp.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine possessing the advantageous structural features, the

inherent meritorious characteristics and the mode of op- F eration herein mentioned.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation, as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein is found the preferred but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly broken away, of an installed socket in accordance with the instant invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the socket;

Fig. 3 is a top plan detail view of the base member of the socket;

Fig. 4 is a view of the base member in side elevation, partly broken away;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the hanger bail member of the socket;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the bail;

Fig. 7 is a front view of the bail;

2,715,213 Patented Aug. 9, 1955 Fig. 8 is a top view of the barrel member of the socket;

Fig. 9 is a side view of the barrel;

Fig. 10 is a front view of the barrel;

Fig. 11 is a side view of the electrical contact member of the socket;

Fig. 12 is a top view of the contact member; and

Fig. 13 is a plan view showing the mounting hole and indexing position on the panel mount.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the socket assembly includes a cup-shaped base 11 (Figs. 3 and 4),? a hanger bail 12 (Figs. 5-7), a barrel 13 (Figs. 8l0), a contact disc 14 (Figs. 11 and 12) and a spring 15. The socket assembly is installed in a panel member 16 (Fig. 13).

The cup-shaped base 11 presents on its edge an outturned flange 17 and adjacent its bottom has a stepped down formation defining an internal ledge 18. Further, diametrically opposed vertical channels form key slots 19. On the upper surface of the flange 17 and spaced from channels 19 are groups of centering and locking cams 292ll, respectively. A wire passing opening 21 is in the bottom of the base.

The hanger bail 12 is an approximately U-shaped member, the upstanding arms of which are received in the key slot 19. The rounded, apertured bottom of the bail is seated in the bottom of the base 11. At the upper ends of itsupstanding arms, the hanger bail presents outwardly and downwardly projecting fingers 22, the rounded ends of which overlie the flange 17.

One end of the barrel 13 is received in the base 11, seated upon ledge 18 in vertically spaced relation with the bottom of the hanger bail 12. A fixed relationship between the base 11 and barrel 13 is achieved by staking the parts together, as at 23. The barrel projects upwardly or outwardly of the base 11 and at its outer end is formed with a bayonet slot 24 to receive the base of an electric lamp.

Extending from the inner end of the barrel to a point immediately below the slot 24 are diametrically opposed radially projecting channels 25 terminating in an arcuate abutment wall 26. The channels 25 lie substantially within the key slots 19 of base 11 and provide a slideway for the contact disc 14-.

The disc 14- consists of an insulation block 27 having oppositely disposed radial trunnions 28, and longitudinally extending relatively offset wire passing openings 29. The contact disc is inserted in the barrel 13 through the inner end thereof, the trunnions 28 being received in and guided by the channels 25.

As shown in Fig. 12, the openings 29 are located in an angularly offset or askew line relative to the transverse axis of the disc 27 considered in relation to the pivotal axis thereof as defined by the trunnions 28. Such angular displacement of the openings 29, and the lamp contacts 29' Fig. 2) supported therein tends to resist counter clockwise rotation of a lamp bulb, and consequent looseness of the bulb within the socket.

The spring 15 is a relatively wide and strong compression spring and is seated in the base 11 upon the bottom of the hanger bail 12. The outer end of the spring bears upon the contact disc 14 and urges it outwardly or upwardly in the channels 25, the outward limit of motion of the disc being defined by the abutment surface 26 engageable by the trunnions 28. Spring 15 thereby serves as a resilient support for the lamp bulb engaged within the slots 24 of the barrel or socket 13.

The panel member 16 presents an opening 32 inter sected by diametrically opposed duofunctional key slots 33. The slots 33 permit passage of the hanger fingers 22 through the opening 32 in the panel and also provide locating and locking means for the socket assembly. To locate and lock the socket assembly in a mounted position the earns 20' on the base member 11 engage the slots 33 in the panel member 16.

In assembling the socket, the hanger bail 12 is dropped into the base 11 with its arms received in slots 19 whereby relative rotation between the parts is prevented. The contact disc 14 is inserted into barrel 13 and followed by the spring 15, whereupon the assembly comprising barrel 13, contact disc 14 and spring 15 is placed in the base 11. The barrel then is staked to the base, the parts occupying substantially the positions shown in Fig. 1 with the barrel seated on ledge 18, spring 15 seated on hanger bail 12 and contact disc 14 pressed by the spring to' its outermost limit of movement against abutments 26.

Since the contact disc 14 is limited to its outward motion relative to barrel 13 by abutments 26 and the barrel is positively connected to the base 11, the reactant force of spring 15 is exerted in a direction to provide a yielding resistance to longitudinal separating motion of base flange 17 and hanger bail fingers 22, and simultaneously therewith possesses the duofunctional characteristic of providing a resilient mounting for the contact disc 14.

In installing the assembled socket, barrel 13 is projected I through the opening 32 in panel member 16 and motion of the socket in this direction continued until the flange 17 on base 11 abuts the panel in surrounding relation to the opening 32. The socket assembly is brought into coaxial centered relation with the opening 32 by engagement of cam surfaces 20 (on flange 17) with the peripheral edge of the opening 32, such position being maintained during rotative movement of the socket relative to the mounting panel.

During such insertion of the socket, the hanger bail fingers 22 are aligned with key slots 33 so that these fingers may pass through the panel mounting 16 and assume positions on the opposite side thereof when flange 17 abuts the panel on the inner side. With the socket so positioned, it is turned a distance of about ninety degrees, moving fingers 22 out of alignment with slots 33, the fingers coming to rest upon the outer surface of panel 16. At the same time, and as a part of the same motion, cam surfaces 20 on flange 17 are brought into cooperative. engagement with the slots 33 through which the fingers 22 were previously passed. In reaching such position a slight relative axial motion of the base 11 and bail 12 is involved, such motion being absorbed by the spring 15 which thereafter yieldingly resists rotary motion of the socket out of installed position.

It will be understood that electrical conductors or wires enter the socket through base opening 21 and pass through openings 29 in disc 14 to the contacts 29' seated upon the outer surface of the disc. When the lamp base is inserted in the outer end of the barrel 13 it will engage contacts 29 and move the disc 14 slightly inward, lowering the trunnions 28 from their seat on abutment surfaces 26. The spring 15, being under compression, maintains contact of the disc 14 with the lamp base and further applies an axial pressure to the lamp base in a manner inhibiting rotary motion thereof out of the horizontal portions of the bayonet slot. Such action is further assisted by the angularly displaced relation of the contacts 29' relative to the contacts on the base of the bulb. At the same time, of course, the spring is performing the further functions of applying a clamping pressure as between the flange 17 and fingers 22 upon the interposed panel member 16, while permitting the contact disc 14 to have freedom for tilting as well as axial movement if this is necessary to proper contact with the lamp base.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An electric lamp socket, including a cup-shaped base presenting an outwardly flanged edge, a hanger bail received in said base and surrounded thereby and presenting lateral fingers to overlie the flange on said base, a barrel the inner end of which is received in said base in vertically spaced relation to said hanger bail therein, means for fixing said barrel with respect to said base, means to mount an electric lamp in the outer end of said barrel, a contact member slidably mounted in said barrel to be engaged by the lamp base, means formed on the interior of the barrel for limiting outward movement of the contact member relatively to the barrel, and a duofunctional spring interposed between said contact member and said hanger bail, said spring serving the dual purpose of urging said contact member outward to maintain engagement with the lamp base and of resisting relative axial motion between said hanger bail and said base.

2. An electric lamp socket, including a cup-shaped base having an outwardly flanged edge, a hanger bail received in said base and surrounded thereby and having lateral fingers to overlie the flange on said base, said fingers and said flange being arranged to embrace a supporting panel or the like, a barrel the inner end of which is received in said base in spaced relation to said hanger bail therein, means for fixing the barrel relatively to the base, means for mounting an electric lamp in the outer end of said barrel, a contact member slidably mounted in said barrel to be engaged by the electric lamp base, means formed on the interior of the barrel for limiting the outward movement of said contact member in relation to the barrel, and a spring interposed between said contact member and said hanger bail serving the dual function of urging said contact member outward 1 and of exerting an approaching or, clamping pressure as between the fingers of said hanger bail and the flange on said base.

3. A socket for bayonet base electric lamps, including a cup-shaped base presenting an outwardly flanged edge, a barrel having its inner end received in said base and its outer end projecting therefrom, means for fixing said barrel with, respect to said base, a bayonet slot in the outer end of said barrel to mount the electric lamp, a contact disc supported Within said barrel inwardly of said bayonet. slot with freedom of tilting and axial movements, means formed on the interior of said barrel for limiting outward axial movement of said disc, a coil spring housed in said base and extending into said barrel to bear on said disc and provide yielding resistance to inward axial and tilting movements thereof, and

a part in said base receiving the reactant force of said spring and extending into cooperative relation with the flange on said base to apply with said flange a clamping pressure for installation of the socket in a panel opening or the like.

end in projecting relation to the base, means securing said base and barrel against relative longitudinal motion, a bayonet slot in the outer end of said barrel to mount the electric lamp base, a contact member slidably mounted in said barrel, a compression spring houser in said base and urging said contact member outward into pressural engagement with the lamp base, means formed on the interior of said barrel for limiting the outward position of said contact member in said barrel, a panel member defining a mount for the socket, complementary indexing formations on the socket and on the panel member, and means utilizing the reactant force of said spring to inhibit movement of the socket out of indexed position.

6. An electric light socket assembly including a peripherally flanged base member, a light socket supported therein in relatively fixed relation, a resiliently mounted reciprocatory contact member enclosed within said socket, spring biased reciprocatory latch members mounted intermediate the base member and socket for reciprocatory motion relative thereto, a duofunctional spring enclosed within the socket and base member simultaneously urging said contact member toward engagement with a light supported within said socket and the latch members into latching relation with a support within which said socket assembly is mounted, and means formed on the interior of said light socket limiting the outward position of said contact member in said socket.

7. In a socket assembly, a socket, a contact disc engageable with an electric light supported within said socket, a flange carried by said socket and engageable with a supporting panel, a relatively reciprocatory latch member extending in overlying relation with said flange and engageable with a supporting panel on the opposite side thereof from the flange, a duofunctional spring interposed between said contact disc and latch member urging said disc upwardly toward contact with an electric light and the latch member downwardly into clamping engagement with the supporting panel interposed between the latch and flange, means formed on the interior of said socket for limiting the upward movement of said contact disc, and indexing members carried by said flange and supporting panel for cooperative engagement with said panel and latch member respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 997,588 Taylor et al. July 11, 1911 1,221,255 Welles Apr. 3, 1917 1,641,159 Foster Sept. 6, 1927 1,717,566 Jording June 18, 1929 1,975,820 Wright Oct. 9, 1934 2,012,979 Von Holtz Sept. 3, 1935 2,122,848 Stearns July 5, 1938 2,151,089 Douglas Mar. 21, 1939 2,297,615 Funk Sept. 29, 1942 2,360,809 Wood Oct. 17, 1944 2,595,994 Thomas May 6, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 462,484 Germany Apr. 14, 1926 

